| Belgorod (English) Белгород (Russian) |
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Belgorod Music Hall |
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Belgorod
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| City Day | August 5 |
| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Belgorod Oblast |
| Administrative center of | Belgorod Oblast |
| Municipal status | |
| Urban okrug | Belgorod Urban Okrug |
| Mayor | Vasily Potryasayev |
| Representative body | City Duma |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 153.1 km2 (59.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2010 Census, preliminary) |
356,426 inhabitants[1] |
| - Rank in 2010 | 49th |
| Population (2002 Census) | 337,030 inhabitants[2] |
| - Rank in 2002 | 51st |
| Density | 2,328 /km2 (6,030 /sq mi)[3] |
| Time zone | MSD (UTC+04:00)[4] |
| Founded | 1596 |
| Postal code(s) | 308000 |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 4722 |
| Official website | |
Belgorod (Russian: Бе́лгород) is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, situated on the Seversky Donets River just 40 kilometers (25 mi) north of the Ukrainian border. Population: 356,426 (2010 Census preliminary results);[1] 337,030 (2002 Census);[2] 300,408 (1989 Census).[5] Belgorod is served by Belgorod International Airport (EGO)
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The name Belgorod in Russian literally means "a white city", name being a compound of бе́лый (bélyj, “white, light”) and го́род (górod, “town, city”). The city was thus named after the region being rich in limestone. Etymologically, it corresponds to other Slavic city names of identical meaning: Beograd, Białogard, Biograd', Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi etc.
The settlement was first mentioned in 1237, when it was ravaged by the hordes of Batu Khan. In 1596 it was refounded by the order of Boris Godunov as one of numerous forts set up to defend Southern borders from the Crimean Tatars.
After the Russian border was moved further south, the fortress fell in disrepair and the town was assigned to the Government of Kursk. Peter the Great visited it on the eve of the Battle of Poltava, and a dragoon regiment was stationed in the town until 1917.
It was occupied by Nazi Germany on October 25, 1941. During the great Battle of Kursk, the village of Prokhorovka in Belgorod Oblast was a stage of the largest tank battle in world history (July 12, 1943). It was finally liberated on August 5, 1943 after this battle. The renowned World War II monuments include the Belgorod Diorama and a huge cathedral in Prokhorovka among others.
Belgorod is an administrative, industrial and cultural center of Belgorod Oblast, established in 1954. The major educational centeres of the City are Belgorod State University, Technological University, Agricultural Academy, Financial Academy.
Belgorod Drama Theater is named after one of the famous 19th-century actors Mikhail Shchepkin who was born in this region.
Belgorod is divided into two city okrugs (districts):
Belgorod's climate is humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb) featuring cold winters, warm summers and moderate precipitation.
| Climate data for Belgorod | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.8 (23.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.9 (35.4) |
12.6 (54.7) |
20.7 (69.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.3 (75.7) |
18.6 (65.5) |
11.0 (51.8) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
10.88 (51.59) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −11.1 (12.0) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
3.2 (37.8) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
14.3 (57.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
2.44 (36.40) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 52 (2.05) |
40 (1.57) |
36 (1.42) |
46 (1.81) |
48 (1.89) |
67 (2.64) |
72 (2.83) |
53 (2.09) |
49 (1.93) |
40 (1.57) |
52 (2.05) |
50 (1.97) |
605 (23.82) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 100 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organisation (UN) [6] | |||||||||||||
Belgorod is twinned with:
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